Cardiac devices, such as pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillators, have electrical leads that must be implanted within or onto the surface of the heart. The electrical leads may be used to detect electrical events occurring in the heart and to pass an electrical signal caused by the electrical event to the cardiac device. The electrical leads may also be used to provide electrical stimulation from the cardiac device to the heart tissue. The electrical stimulation causes contraction of the heart tissue. For example, electrical stimulation can be provided to the heart to vary the delay between the depolarization of the atrial area and depolarization of the ventricle area.
To properly install the electrical leads of the cardiac device, sophisticated imaging systems such as fluoroscopy are typically used to provide a high resolution X-ray of the patient's chest as the leads are being inserted. Generally, the sophisticated imaging systems are permanently located in electrophysiology or surgical rooms, and implantation of the device must occur at these locations.
In addition to the sophisticated imaging system, the physician employs a device programmer to adjust performance parameters of the implantable device. The programmer generally uses telemetry to send and receive signals, such as magnetic waves, to and from the implantable device. Thus, the physician uses the imaging system to view and position the electrical leads and to view the hemodynamic response of the heart. While viewing the leads and response, the physician also adjusts the operational parameters of the device with the programmer to alter the hemodynamic response.
Therefore, there is a need for a tool that allows installation of the leads in a less rigorous medical environment while simplifying the evaluation and optimization of device performance.